You think you're allergic to henna hair dye because, after the application, you felt your scalp was itchy and burning?
In this blog post, we will find out if you have an allergic reaction to henna and what to do to avoid the annoying itchy and burning scalp.
Henna Allergy: how to understand if we're having an allergic reaction to henna
You must remember that, potentially, we can be allergic to everything, and that the fact that a product is natural, it doesn't mean it's harmless and it does not guarantee to be anallergic. Henna, specifically, contains various allergens, but there are only a few documented cases of henna allergy.
An allergy to a substance manifests itself after one is being exposed for a period of time to the allergen, and it does not depend on the quantity of product one's been exposed to. It can arise on every area of the body, not only on the head or the scalp. Generally, we have an allergic reaction right after the first exposure, but it can arise even after various applications or after years of one product's use.
In my blog posts and video tutorials I always suggest you to make a henna allergy skin test, 48 hours before the application of henna or herbal hair colors, in order to see if you're allergic to herbal hair dyes or not.
How to do an allergy skin test to see if you're allergic to henna?
1. Mix the henna (lawsonia) or the herbal hair color (katam, indigo or cassia) with water, or prepare the herbal hair colors mix (obviously a small quantity of it, but still using the right percentages) you want to apply on your hair.
2. Apply a small amount of the henna mix on your forearm and cover it with a band-aid.
3. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and if you don't feel any weird sensations, like itch or redness, you can use that specific herbal hair color or that specific mix of henna and herbal hair dyes because you're not allergic to it.
Just keep in mind that it's possible being allergic to only one specific allergen contained in a specific herbal hair color, even if you use all the other herbal hair colors with no problems.
If, instead, while keeping the henna on, you feel your scalp itchy and/or burning, or, after washing the mix away you notice that your skin is red and you feel it's itchy... if you notice you have a runny nose and you feel your eyes are burning, well, it's very likely that you're allergic to that specific herbal hair color, or to one of the herbal hair colors you used for the test. In this case, I strongly discourage you to apply herbal hair colors on your head and scalp.
The itchy sensation will disappear in a couple of hours after you'll wash the herbal hair colors away from your scalp.
The fact that the skin remains tinted (red or orange) is not an allergic symptom, but it's a normal reaction if the herbal hair colors are Body Art Quality (it means that they're appropriate for tattoos & one of the highest quality available on the market), like Beautilicious Delights' herbal hair colors.
Moreover, the Body Art Quality Henna is synonymous with purity, hence it guarantees that there are neither PPD nor chemical ingredients in it.
What causes itchy and sore scalp if it is not an allergy issue?
If, during the henna allergy skin test, everything went fine and you didn't have any allergic reaction to henna, why, after the application, do you still feel an itchy and a burning scalp?
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Possible causes that may provoke an itchy burning scalp, and NOT a proper allergic reaction to henna:
1. The henna you're using is impure:
It might have been cut with other herbs to which your skin is intolerant, or it may contain sand that has a too aggressive scrub-effect on the scalp.
It contains sodium picramate to which many people are allergic. I talked about the role of the sodium picramate if added to henna in the following article:
3. You let the herbal hair colors mix sit on your scalp for too long: from 6 to 9 - 12 hours.
The irritation and sensitization of the scalp happen when the scalp can't take it any longer.
A too long exposure of the skin to the herbal hair dyeing mix causes a dehydration of the scalp. The more you wait, the more the herbal hair colors tend to re-hydrate themselves by absorbing water from the skin and the hair. I recommend you to read the article I wrote about For How Long and How Often you should Apply Henna and Herbal Hair Colors Mix?
4. The itchy burning scalp is most of the times caused from the henna residues on the scalp.
What should you do to avoid a burning scalp and its sensitization?
Be sure to buy first quality and pure henna and herbal hair colors: in the cosmetic ingredients list there must be written only the name of the plant. Please, avoid buying loose herbal hair dyes: you can't be sure neither of their origin nor of their purity.
Leave the henna mix sit on your scalp for the minimum time possible. I personally manage to obtain a perfect coverage of my gray hair (more than the 75% of my regrowth is gray) by letting the henna mix sit for only three and a half hours. If you don't need to cover gray hair, you can let the mix on your head just for 2 hours and still obtain great results.
Avoid adding any other ingredient to your henna mix, whether they're acid ingredients or not. Do NOT use essential oils, because there's a high risk of burning your scalp, especially if you let the mix sit for a long time.
Be sure to rinse and wash away every henna residue or every bit of herbal hair dye. In order to make this operation easier, just fill a bowl or the sink with water and immerse your hair in it.
Use only a natural shampoo, silicone-free - find out why you have to detox your hair from silicones and how the silicones affect the release of the color - and dilute it just to be sure that the surfactants did their job removing each and every henna residue left on the scalp.
Lastly, rinse your hair with cold water to relieve the burning scalp. To alleviate the itchy sensation, apply on your skin an aloe vera gel.
Even though the Beautilicious Delights Herbal Hair Dyes are completely free from synthetic chemical substances and even though they're 100% natural (they contain only the dried and powdered plant), they can still lead to sensitization of the scalp or to allergic reactions as every one of us is unique.
In order to avoid this kind of reaction, I suggest you to do the allergy skin test I talked about at the beginning of the article, prior to applying the henna mix to your scalp.
Just remember that the allergic reaction that can be caused by a pure herbal hair dye has nothing to do with the allergic reaction caused by PPD: this allergic reaction causes a much more violent irritation and evident swelling and redness.
Have you ever had allergic reactions to henna or itchy scalp or burning scalp after using henna? What did you do to alleviate the annoying sore scalp?
This Katam is a very good quality and easily rinses out. In combination with henna and a little bit of Cassia it creates warm brown tones. I started carefully with a 65 (henna)-5 (cassia) and 30 (Katam) mixture, but I have leveled up the Katam percentage to 70 (Katam) - 5 (Cassia) and 25 (henna). After 2 hours under the dryer hood my grey hair was nicely covered with a warm dark brown colour which became even prettier after 3 days of oxydizing. I will defintely stick to this Katam and recommend it. :-)
I finally found a henna that really colors hair in dark colors rather than only red. I was skeptical but it actually works! Not super intense color, but very natural brown, I love it!
I have never dyed my hair with henna, and after 17 years using chemicals I was very nervous to try it out. Rozalia was so helpful and helped me with ratios I should use to start off with. Her correspondence was quick and clear. I tried it and I'll never go back to using chemicals again. I will be purchasing some more soon!
I love this henna and the tutorials are amazingly helpful. Rozalia has been so helpful above and beyond guiding me through the proper steps. I have to say I am very pleased with the results, I previously used a different not bad henna but does not compare to this product. I will continue to order my henna from Beautiliciousdelights. My only issue is the delay in shipping, I will order with plenty of time so I am never without. Thanks Rozalia for your patience and knowledge.
Henné Nero (Katam Buxus Dioica) Tinta Naturale Capelli
I absolutely love the results of using both the Katam (black) and Lawsonia (red) Henna's mixed together.
My previously irritated scalp and dull hair feels and looks so much healthier, stronger, shinier and fuller! Plus it has never been so healthy!
I am being told by friends that my hair is in "such good condition" :)
Thank you Beautilicious!!!
I would like to share my results of using your Henna hair color products. Your very kind and personal attention to me with your
communication through email contacts and answering all of my questions thoroughly, and extending additional support for my concerns as a first time user, was much more than I expected.
Additionally, I was so impressed with how fast the order arrived to me from Italy to the United States. The packaging was also very neat and professional and I could feel that it was put together with a lot of care. I ordered all 3 of the colors, so that I could experiment with various shades to achieve my desired color. I have only used it once so far, but the color turned out just beautifully and covered my greys very well. I left it on for 8 hours, as the 4 to 9 hr window that was directed. I rinsed with vinegar only and shampooed a day or two later. I did have some trouble removing all the product, but I feel I used too much and realized that your products are very affordable and cheaper than store bought chemical varieties as I can get much more out of each package than originally thought. I will use about half of the amount next time. I liked the Lawsonia Red better than the Indigo or Black Kattam. Thank you for all your kindness and for providing a much needed service as I suffer from an autoimmune disease, and natural is a way to improve my condition. Peace and many blessings returned to you, Sincerely, Dee in Northern Illinois
Thank you for this amazing hair spray. It gives my fine hair texture and volume. The fragrance is a little strong for me but in a little amount it is very pleasant. Glad that I found it and will purchase in the future.
The service of Beautilicious Delightswas was excellent. The delivery of the henna was very fast and all my questions were answered promptly. The product is of very high quality.
Thank you.
I have been using the spray with the volume booster for the past 2months and I really really love it! It leaves my hair shiny, soft, but what I most love is the great volume it gives to my fine hair. I have baby soft hair, but with this hairspray my hair looks much fuller and it stays in place much better.
Ahhh, and it is not sticky at all..sometimes I even apply it on dry hair to just enjoy its good perfume on my hair :)
I'm almost 50 years old and recently I started to get light brownish areas on my face. I've been using the face cream with the whitening booster for the past month, consistently and I am noticing most of them already disappeared.
The only "negative note": too bad the shipping expenses are quite high, but the delivery was super fast and within the estimated time.. Will have to catch some super promo to place a new order ;)
Wow! I was just curious to see if & how this spray would work for my thin hair, but did not expect the awesome texture I got after applying it together with the volume booster! As a plus Customer service is awesome!!!! In today's day and age, it's hard to find anyone who will take such great care of their customers & would have such great attention for small details. Great product. Great prices. Great service. Can't beat it!!!!
I absolutely love this spray! Combined with the frizz free booster it leaves my hair so soft and shiny, and it helps discipline and detangle my thick curly hair!
Plus I adore its scent..I can't even describe it..it smell like flowers, forest yet is also fresh!! Ladies, you have to give this a try!
Lovely looking, easy to use and no mess. Goes on easily, no slick or sticky feel yet it looks & feels natural and w/ a slight shine. It's pricey, but really worth the money. Thank you!
Does Brown Henna EXIST? How to mix henna to dye your grey hair brown without any hints of red!
Henna Application & Preparation: Oxidation - Acidification - YES or NO?
Allergic to Henna Hair Dye? Henna Itchy, Sore & Burning Scalp? Here's what you can do!
You think you're allergic to henna hair dye because, after the application, you felt your scalp was itchy and burning?
In this blog post, we will find out if you have an allergic reaction to henna and what to do to avoid the annoying itchy and burning scalp.
Henna Allergy: how to understand if we're having an allergic reaction to henna
You must remember that, potentially, we can be allergic to everything, and that the fact that a product is natural, it doesn't mean it's harmless and it does not guarantee to be anallergic. Henna, specifically, contains various allergens, but there are only a few documented cases of henna allergy.
An allergy to a substance manifests itself after one is being exposed for a period of time to the allergen, and it does not depend on the quantity of product one's been exposed to. It can arise on every area of the body, not only on the head or the scalp. Generally, we have an allergic reaction right after the first exposure, but it can arise even after various applications or after years of one product's use.
In my blog posts and video tutorials I always suggest you to make a henna allergy skin test, 48 hours before the application of henna or herbal hair colors, in order to see if you're allergic to herbal hair dyes or not.
How to do an allergy skin test to see if you're allergic to henna?
1. Mix the henna (lawsonia) or the herbal hair color (katam, indigo or cassia) with water, or prepare the herbal hair colors mix (obviously a small quantity of it, but still using the right percentages) you want to apply on your hair.
2. Apply a small amount of the henna mix on your forearm and cover it with a band-aid.
3. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and if you don't feel any weird sensations, like itch or redness, you can use that specific herbal hair color or that specific mix of henna and herbal hair dyes because you're not allergic to it.
Just keep in mind that it's possible being allergic to only one specific allergen contained in a specific herbal hair color, even if you use all the other herbal hair colors with no problems.
If, instead, while keeping the henna on, you feel your scalp itchy and/or burning, or, after washing the mix away you notice that your skin is red and you feel it's itchy... if you notice you have a runny nose and you feel your eyes are burning, well, it's very likely that you're allergic to that specific herbal hair color, or to one of the herbal hair colors you used for the test. In this case, I strongly discourage you to apply herbal hair colors on your head and scalp.
The itchy sensation will disappear in a couple of hours after you'll wash the herbal hair colors away from your scalp.
The fact that the skin remains tinted (red or orange) is not an allergic symptom, but it's a normal reaction if the herbal hair colors are Body Art Quality (it means that they're appropriate for tattoos & one of the highest quality available on the market), like Beautilicious Delights' herbal hair colors.
Moreover, the Body Art Quality Henna is synonymous with purity, hence it guarantees that there are neither PPD nor chemical ingredients in it.
What causes itchy and sore scalp if it is not an allergy issue?
If, during the henna allergy skin test, everything went fine and you didn't have any allergic reaction to henna, why, after the application, do you still feel an itchy and a burning scalp?
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Possible causes that may provoke an itchy burning scalp, and NOT a proper allergic reaction to henna:
1. The henna you're using is impure:
The Ultimate Guide to Henna & Herbal Hair Dyes Preparation and Application.
2. You add to your henna and herbal hair color mix, ingredients other than warm water:
If you have been following my blog assiduously, I'm sure you know that I strongly discourage you to add other ingredients in the henna mix. I talk about this topic in The Ultimate Guide to Henna & Herbal Hair Dyes Preparation and Application.
3. You let the herbal hair colors mix sit on your scalp for too long: from 6 to 9 - 12 hours.
The irritation and sensitization of the scalp happen when the scalp can't take it any longer.
A too long exposure of the skin to the herbal hair dyeing mix causes a dehydration of the scalp. The more you wait, the more the herbal hair colors tend to re-hydrate themselves by absorbing water from the skin and the hair. I recommend you to read the article I wrote about For How Long and How Often you should Apply Henna and Herbal Hair Colors Mix?
4. The itchy burning scalp is most of the times caused from the henna residues on the scalp.
What should you do to avoid a burning scalp and its sensitization?
Lastly, rinse your hair with cold water to relieve the burning scalp. To alleviate the itchy sensation, apply on your skin an aloe vera gel.
RECOMMENDED READING: Shiny & Soft Hair with an Acid Rinse: Apple Vinegar or Lemon?
Even though the Beautilicious Delights Herbal Hair Dyes are completely free from synthetic chemical substances and even though they're 100% natural (they contain only the dried and powdered plant), they can still lead to sensitization of the scalp or to allergic reactions as every one of us is unique.
In order to avoid this kind of reaction, I suggest you to do the allergy skin test I talked about at the beginning of the article, prior to applying the henna mix to your scalp.
Just remember that the allergic reaction that can be caused by a pure herbal hair dye has nothing to do with the allergic reaction caused by PPD: this allergic reaction causes a much more violent irritation and evident swelling and redness.
Have you ever had allergic reactions to henna or itchy scalp or burning scalp after using henna? What did you do to alleviate the annoying sore scalp?
©Beautilicious Delights
Take care of your skin and hair consciously. You'll find everything you need (even herbal hair colors) on our online shop. Click HERE to visit it!
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